Section I: TIMELINE (Social Studies Study Guide 2025–26 (“From Yalta to Malta”).)

What was the Yalta Conference and why was it held?

The Yalta Conference (February 4-11, 1945) was a meeting between FDR, Churchill, and Stalin to discuss postwar plans for Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany.

What were the major agreements made at Yalta?

Germany would be divided into occupation zones.
The USSR would enter the war against Japan.
Free elections were promised in Eastern Europe.
The United Nations would be created.

Why was Yalta important to the start of the Cold War?

It exposed differences between democratic and communist visions for postwar Europe and sowed distrust between the Allies.

When and where was the Potsdam Conference held?

July 17-August 2, 1945, near Berlin.

Who attended the Potsdam Conference?

Harry Truman (U.S.), Joseph Stalin (USSR), and Clement Attlee (U.K.).

What were the main results? (of Potsdam Conference)

Germany's demilitarization and denazification.
Prosecution of war criminals.
Division of Berlin among four Allied powers.
Growing U.S.-Soviet tension as Truman hinted about the atomic bomb.

What was the Truman Doctrine?

Announced March 1947, it pledged U.S. support to nations threatened by communism, beginning with Greece and Turkey.

What was its broader significance? (Truman Doctrine)

It marked the start of containment policy — the U.S. commitment to stopping communist expansion worldwide.

What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan (European Recovery Program)?

To rebuild Western European economies after WWII and reduce communist influence by providing over $13 billion in U.S. aid.

How did the USSR respond? ( Marshall Plan (European Recovery Program))

The Soviets rejected it and forbade Eastern Bloc countries from participating, creating economic division across Europe.

What caused the Berlin Blockade?

The Soviets blocked land and rail access to West Berlin to pressure the Allies to abandon the city after West Germany's currency reform.

How did the Allies respond? (Berlin Blockade)

They launched the Berlin Airlift (June 1948-May 1949), flying food and supplies into the city.

What was the outcome? (Allies respond to Blockade - They launched the Berlin Airlift (June 1948-May 1949), flying food and supplies into the city.)

The blockade failed; it symbolized the first direct Cold War confrontation and deepened the East-West divide.

What is NATO and when was it established?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, founded April 4, 1949, was a collective defense alliance of Western democracies.

Why was NATO significant?

It institutionalized military cooperation against the Soviet threat and committed members to defend one another from aggression.

When did the USSR test its first atomic bomb, and why was it significant?

August 29, 1949 — it ended the U.S. nuclear monopoly and intensified the arms race.

What triggered the Korean War?

North Korea's invasion of South Korea on June 25, 1950.

Who supported each side? (Korean War)

The U.S. and UN supported South Korea; the USSR and China supported North Korea.

What was the result? (Korean War)

The war ended in a stalemate (1953 armistice), keeping the Korean Peninsula divided at the 38th parallel.

How did Stalin's death affect the Cold War?

It allowed a brief "thaw" and leadership transition, leading to Khrushchev's rise and limited liberalization.

What was the Warsaw Pact?

A military alliance of the USSR and Eastern Bloc nations, created in response to West Germany joining NATO.

Why was it significant? - Warsaw Pact

It formalized the military division of Europe and provided justification for Soviet control in Eastern Europe.

What caused the Hungarian Revolution of 1956?

Hungarians demanded political reform and withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact.

What was the outcome? - Hungarian Revolution of 1956

The Soviet army crushed the uprising, showing that Moscow would not tolerate dissent in its satellite states.

What was Sputnik?

The first artificial satellite, launched by the USSR on October 4, 1957.

Why was it important? - Sputnik

It started the Space Race, alarming the U.S. and spurring massive investment in science and technology education.

What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

A failed CIA-backed attempt by Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist regime.

Why did it fail? (Bay of Pigs invasion)

Poor planning, lack of U.S. air support, and strong Cuban resistance.

What was its effect? (Bay of Pigs invasion)

It humiliated the U.S. and pushed Cuba closer to the USSR.

When and why was the Berlin Wall built?

Built August 13, 1961, by East Germany to prevent citizens from fleeing to the West.

What did it symbolize? (Berlin Wall)

The physical and ideological divide between communism and capitalism.

What caused the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Soviet placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba, discovered by U.S. reconnaissance.

How was the crisis resolved? (Cuban Missile Crisis)

The USSR agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. removing its missiles from Turkey and pledging not to invade Cuba.

Why was it significant? (Cuban Missile Crisis)

It was the closest the world came to nuclear war and led to improved U.S.-Soviet communication (hotline).

What did the Limited Test Ban Treaty ban?

Nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater.

Why was it important? (Limited Test Ban Treaty)

It marked the first major arms control agreement of the Cold War.

What was the Prague Spring?

A movement in Czechoslovakia for political liberalization under Alexander Dubček.

How did it end? - Prague Spring

Crushed by Warsaw Pact invasion in August 1968.

What was SALT I?

The first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty between the U.S. and USSR, freezing the number of certain nuclear weapons.

What was its impact? (OF SALT I)

It was a milestone in détente and arms control.

What were the Helsinki Accords?

Agreements between 35 nations recognizing postwar European borders and committing to human rights.

Why were they significant? - Helsinki Accords

They symbolized a temporary thaw and gave dissidents in Eastern Europe a legal framework to demand rights.

Why did the USSR invade Afghanistan?

To support a communist government under threat from Islamic rebels.

What were the consequences? (OF USSR invade Afghanistan)

A decade-long war that weakened the USSR, led to U.S. aid to mujahideen, and reignited Cold War tensions.

What was Solidarity? Why was it important?

An independent trade union movement led by Lech Wałęsa.
It challenged communist rule and inspired democratic change across Eastern Europe.

What were glasnost and perestroika?

Glasnost = openness/transparency; Perestroika = economic restructuring.

How did these contribute to the Cold War's end? (glasnost and perestroika)

They weakened communist control and encouraged reform movements across Eastern Europe.

When did the Berlin Wall fall and what did it symbolize?

November 9, 1989 — it symbolized the collapse of communist regimes and the nearing end of the Cold War.

What happened at the Malta Summit (Dec. 2-3, 1989)?

George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev declared the Cold War effectively over, signaling a new era of cooperation.